Forgiveness
by pinkpen23
Summary: Sometimes forgiveness comes in the weirdest of ways, like perhaps a row.  Just something short and sweet I wrote because I couldn't sleep.  Takes place right after Ron returns to the Horcrux Hunt.  Review please :


_**A/N: Something random that came into my head at two in the morning. It takes place right after Ron returns during the Horcrux Hunt. Enjoy **_

"How long do you reckon she'll stay mad at me for?" Ron asked as he and Harry sat in the tent talking.

Ron had returned just a few days ago, and Hermione, still furious, was giving him the silent treatment. She wouldn't even acknowledge his presence, and this drove him mad. At this moment in time, Hermione was outside keeping watch. Ron had offered to take her shift because of how cold it was outside, but Hermione merely scoffed at him and went over to the mouth of the tent.

"I don't know, mate," Harry responded.

"I just wish she'd _look_ at me," Ron told Harry. "That's all I want. She acts like I'm not even there."

Harry nodded his head, listening to Ron, but not saying anything.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"How bad was it when I left? With her, I mean," Ron asked.

Harry looked up from the little jar of blue flames sitting on the table and looked at Ron. "It was bad. She and I hardly spoke, and she was always crying. She cried a lot at night, especially."

Ron's heart ached at Harry's words. He had caused Hermione to cry. Again.

"Bloody hell, I really screwed it up this time," Ron said.

"Ron," Harry said, putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder, "She's going to forgive you. Just give her some time. She's still hurting."

Ron nodded, praying Harry was right. After that, the two just sat in silence for a moment, both thinking.

After a while, Ron spoke.

"You don't happen to have any poison around here, do you?"

"Why?' Harry asked, looking totally befuddled.

"Well, because last time she wasn't talking to me, I drank that poisoned stuff and woke up to find her at my bedside."

Harry laughed at Ron's attempt to find humor in such an uncomfortable situation.

"She'll come around," Harry reassured.

Harry and Hermione sat around the kitchen table the nest morning, eating the weak breakfast Hermione had prepared for them: toast and edible berries. Ron was outside, wandering around and stretching his legs.

"Hermione?" Harry asked slowly, fearing that he might anger her.

"Yes?" Hermione asked, clearly not sensing the question coming.

"How much longer are you going to stay mad at Ron?"

Hermione squinted at Harry and said in an irritated voice, "I don't know. Perhaps until he gives me a reason to not be mad at him."

Harry shook his head sadly. "Hermione, he came back. He came back, saved my life, _and _destroyed a bloody Horcrux. Cut him a little slack."

"He broke my heart, Harry! I will not cut him slack!"

As soon as those words left her mouth, Hermione wished she wouldn't have said them. She had never confessed aloud to anyone other than Ginny her feelings for Ron. She had especially never mentioned anything to Harry, whom she suspected would more than likely tell Ron.

Harry just looked at Hermione in shock. Had she actually said that he had broken her heart? He must have seriously underestimated her feelings for him. He hadn't realized how strong they apparently were.

"Please don't repeat that," Hermione begged.

"I won't," Harry swore, "But Hermione, please think about forgiving him some time soon. At least for my sake."

Hermione pursed her lips together for a moment before giving a non-committal answer.

"I'll think about it."

It was later on that evening, and Ron awkwardly found himself alone in the tent with Hermione. Harry had taken this shift, much to Hermione's discontent. Ron sat in his bed, flipping through one of the books that he found lying around in the tent. Every now and then he'd steal a glance at Hermione who was curled up in a nearby chair reading. Every time he'd glance at her, however, her stony expression remained the same.

Ron played with the idea of talking with Hermione in his mind. On one hand, maybe talking one-on-one would quicken Hermione's forgiveness. On the other hand, it could just annoy Hermione, and prolong his silent treatment.

Ron glanced up again at Hermione who, this time, wore a different expression. Ron attempted to discreetly study her face. She was biting her lower lip, and she was squinting her eyes. She wasn't squinting them in anger, however. Ron could tell that she was squinting them in an attempt not to cry. That was when he made the decision to speak.

"Hermione," Ron began nervously.

"What?" Hermione snapped, looking up at him and trying her best to appear as if she wasn't about to cry.

"I'm sorry."

Hermione did not reply, but merely turned in her chair, so that Ron could only see the side of her face. She pulled the book closer to her eyes and continued reading as if Ron had never spoken.

Feeling dejected, Ron didn't say anything for a moment. If he could just get Hermione talking…All of a sudden, it came to him! He knew that getting Hermione's forgiveness wasn't by apologizing. It was by challenging her. By getting her to speak. He knew that starting a row could have its consequences, but his intuition told him that this was what he had to do.

"Damn it Hermione, I wish you'd just talk to me!" Ron exclaimed, angrily.

He watched anxiously as Hermione slowly turned in her chair to face him. She closed her book with a loud thud and dropped it on the threadbare carpet. This time she did squint her eyes into angry slits. She tilted her head to the side, as if to question his insanity.

"You dare to talk to me like that?" Hermione asked, her voice steady.

"Yes," Ron answered, trying not to let his voice quiver.

"I don't believe it, Ron!" Hermione said, this time raising her voice. "I don't believe you actually have the nerve to speak to me like that!"

"Well, maybe I do," Ron said, growing more confident. "How else am I going to get you speaking?"

"Did it ever cross your daft mind that I don't want to talk to you?" Hermione exclaimed angrily.

"It did," Ron replied, "But I want to talk to you! You're my best friend, and I care about you! I've said I'm sorry a million times! I don't know what else I can do, but to yell. It seems to be the only way to grab your attention."

There was silence between them for a moment as Ron waited nervously for Hermione to respond. After about thirty seconds, she did.

"Ron, please," Hermione said, her tone changing from anger to exhaustion. "Don't do this to me now."

"Do what?" Ron asked, totally clueless.

"Don't make it so easy for me to forgive you," Hermione sighed.

"Pardon?" Ron asked, still not understanding.

"When you go off telling me that I'm your best friend and that you care about me, it makes it so hard to stay mad at you! And that's all I want to do right now!"

"You want to stay mad at me?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, tears welling in her brown eyes.

"But why?"

"Because I don't want to get hurt again!" Hermione exclaimed, not being able to hold back the tears that began to flow from her eyes.

"Hermione, I'm not going to hurt you again. I promise."

"Please—just—just stop talking," Hermione sobbed.

Without thinking Ron got up from his bed and moved towards Hermione.

"Fine," Ron said. _I won't talk to her, but I'll hold her as she cries._

Hermione's initial reaction to Ron wrapping his arms around her was to push him away. Before she had the chance to though, she realized just how much she had missed his embrace. Letting her guard down, Hermione allowed herself to cry without restraint into Ron's chest.

Ron just sat there, allowing Hermione to cry. He stroked her thick brown hair, and every now and then, he gave her a squeeze.

After what seemed like hours, Hermione finally lifted her head from Ron's chest.

"If you ever leave me again, I swear I'll kill you."

Ron tried very hard to suppress the smirk that was begging to form on his face.

"I won't," Ron reassured as he pulled her back into him.

Unbeknownst to Ron and Hermione, Harry had heard their entire conversation. He himself smirked when Hermione threatened to kill Ron if he were to ever leave again. It was such a Hermione-type thing to say. He listened for anything else his two best friends were saying, but only heard silence. Harry smiled happily. His two best friends were finally talking again.

_**A/N: Please please please review! I'd love to know what everyone thought of it! Also, any type of constructive criticism I will gladly take! Thanks!**_


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